The Golden State Valkyries host the No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream for Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals at Chase Center on Saturday (12:30 p.m. PT). The Dream finished two games behind the Valkyries in the regular season standings and ended the year by winning nine of their final 10 games. Atlanta has not lost a game in these playoffs, sweeping the Washington Mystics 2-0 in the first round and defeating the New York Liberty 3-0 in the semifinals. Golden State lost just once, in overtime to the Dallas Wings in Game 2 of the first round, but advanced to sweep the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 3-0 in the semifinals. The Valkyries swept their regular-season series with the Dream 3-0, but they last met on July 4. Like the Valkyries, the Dream are a defensive-minded team, led by 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese, who beat out Golden State forward Gabby Williams for the award. 

The WNBA Finals are a best-of-seven series, with Game 5 and Game 7, if necessary, to be played at Chase Center. All fans attending Game 1 will receive a violet 2026 Finals “This is Ballhalla” t-shirt, courtesy of Chase Freedom. 

Valkyries vs. Aces
Saturday, Oct. 17 | Tipoff: 12:30 p.m.
WATCH: NBC, Peacock
LISTEN: 95.7 The Game, 1320am (Sac) SiriusXM Ch.86 & Ch.171, Audacy, SiriusXM and Chase Center apps
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WNBA Finals Schedule
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 17 | 12:30 p.m. | Chase Center | NBC/Peacock
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 19 | 5 p.m. | Chase Center | USA/Peacock
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 21 | 5 p.m. | State Farm Arena | USA/Peacock
Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 24 | 10 a.m. | State Farm Arena | NBC, Peacock
*Game 5: Monday, Oct. 26 | 5 p.m. | Chase Center | USA/Peacock
*Game 6: Thursday, Oct. 29 | 5 p.m. | TBD | USA/Peacock
*Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 31 | 5 p.m. | Chase Center | USA/Peacock
*If Necessary

VALKYRIES TIP OFF WNBA FINALS WHERE IT ALL STARTED: BALLHALLA:
Since entering the WNBA in 2025, the Golden State Valkyries have beaten to their own drum, with a clear vision of instilling a championship culture from Day 1. Expansion teams aren’t supposed to be this good this early, or at least that’s what the league’s history would suggest. Before the Valkyries, the most recent WNBA expansion team was the Atlanta Dream, who went 4-30 in their inaugural season. Two years before them, the Chicago Sky entered the league with a 5-29 record. After them, neither the Toronto Tempo (11-33) nor the Portland Fire (17-27) made the playoffs in their first season. The Valkyries not only posted a winning record in their inaugural season (23-21), but they also became the only expansion team to make the playoffs. In Year 2, the Valkyries took a similarly significant leap, going from a good playoff-caliber team to one of the league's top teams. Golden State won nine more games in its second season, earning the second seed in the WNBA playoffs. After defeating the Dallas Wings 2-1 in the first round and sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, the Valkyries have again made expansion franchise history, becoming the only team to make the WNBA Finals in their second season.  » Full Story 

THREE KEYS: 
SUFFOCATING DEFENSE:
The Valkyries and Dream are two of the WNBA’s best defensive teams, led by Defensive Player of the Year finalists Angel Reese (Dream) and Gabby Williams (Valkyries). The Valkyries had the league’s best defense in the regular season (99.1 DEFRTG), while the Dream were third (103.5 DEFRTG). In the playoffs, Atlanta jumped to the top spot (102.0 DEFRTG), while the Valkyries are second (104.1 DEFRTG). Golden State and Atlanta lead the playoffs in steals and have been best at limiting opponents' transition offense. The Dream have three players — Jordin Canada (2.2 SPG), Rhyne Howard (2.2 SPG) and Allisha Gray (2.0 SPG) — averaging at least two steals per game, and that doesn’t even include Reese, the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, who is averaging 1.6 steals and 2.2 blocks per contest. Leading the Valkyries, Williams is tied for sixth in playoff steals per game (1.7 SPG), and Kiah Stokes is fourth in blocks per game (2.0 BPG). Between these juggernauts, it will be interesting to see which defense generates more turnovers and imposes its will. 

BATTLE ON THE BOARDS: 
Angel Reese is in her third WNBA season, and she owns the three greatest rebounding seasons in WNBA history, becoming the first player to eclipse 12 rebounds per game in a season, a feat she accomplished in each season. The Valkyries have had a collective effort on the boards, ranking second in playoff rebounds per game (37.8 REB), which outpaces the Dream, who are tied for fourth with 32 rebounds per contest. Golden State has also generated second-chance opportunities, as the only team with more than two playoff games to grab double-digit offensive rebounds (10.5 OREB). The Valkyries are emphasizing boxing out to help them mitigate Reese’s all-time great trait.  

DEPTH AND DURABILITY: 
The Valkyries have consistently played about 10 players throughout these playoffs, and Head Coach Natalie Nakase said they plan to keep leaning on that depth in the finals. An injury to star guard Allisha Gray has also forced the Dream to lean more on its supporting cast, with two-time WNBA champion Jordin Canada raising her scoring from 11.6 points per game in the regular season to a team-high-tying 19.2 points per contest in the playoffs. Dewanna Bonner also joined Atlanta late in the year and is making her second consecutive finals appearance, averaging 13.2 points per game in the postseason. The Valkyries have the league’s highest-scoring bench both in the regular season and the playoffs. The stars generate headlines, but in the playoffs, the supporting cast often goes a long way in determining a champion. 

For more details of the regular season matchups against the Dream, click here. All information on the 2026 Valkyries playoff run can be found here.